Welcome to Diverge

Subscribe to DIVERGE.

This Mother’s Day, BARKER is celebrating working moms by honoring those that are that are balancing both careers and family – and doing it well.

The agency hascreated a ‘Yo Mama’ Joke Generator, whichgives the classic “yo mama” joke a surprising twist. Instead of insults, the phrases are meant to celebrate working moms everywhere with funny lines like, “Yo Mama so strong, you forget she has two jobs,” and points out more serious issues, like the gender pay gap, for example: “Yo Mama so powerful she broke the glass ceiling.”

With the focus on statistics from the US Department of Labor, which says 57 percent of women are working, and 70 percent of moms with kids under 18 years old are also heading to work, every day, the campaign honors working mothers.

This effort was inspired by BARKER’s recent “Working Mother of the Year” win for EVP, Creative Director, Sandi Harari, and also gives a nod to other industry thought leaders like Sallie Krawcheck and Cindy Gallop.

DIVERGE talked to Emma Swanson, Brand Manager to find out more:

Where did the idea for this come from?

BARKER is an agency comprised of mostly women, so we’ve really been involved in the conversation of advancing women in advertising. We thought it would be great to take a joke that is traditionally negative towards women, and turn it on its head–giving it an empowering twist..

What kind of response did you receive from this?

So far, people think it’s hilarious. And our site has already crashed once.

Why is this significant?

We’re at a pivotal moment in history with women at the center of the conversation. It’s time to make it clear that women in the workplace are a force to be reckoned with.

Why is humor key in this campaign?

We didn’t want to make things feel too serious, as we simply wanted to show our appreciation for working moms.